490

Site number:

490

Authors:

IBC, GGC

Date recorded:

1983/01/08

Reason Sampled:

Soil characterisation

Description:

2 km NEN of Mt Brooke on an elevated undulating bench- like surface, about 150m above the main valley floor; about 30m from a scarp that forms part of the valley side;

Altitude:

2300 m

Aspect:

NW

Slope:

3 °

Climate

Soil climate zone:

Central mountain

Estimated mean annual temperature:

-32 °C

Frozen ground depth:

80 > cm

Frozen type:

Dry frozen

Frozen comment:

>80cm

Geology

Geological setting:

Outcropping rocks on Mt Brooke and adjacent hills include Jurassic tuffs and lavas, Ferrar Dolerite and Beacon Group sediments; the drift mantle is widespread on this surface which in places has ridge and swale features possibly formed by wind erosion; bedrock outcrops on higher parts of the surface to the east

Patterned ground:

Weakly developed inactive 10-15m nets with 50cm troughs

Surface weathering or surface features:

Surface dolerite boulders are moderately to strongly stained and many show distinctive moderately developed pitting on upper surfaces; some exfoliation of surface boulders; some larger boulders disaggregated to rubble piles; salts occur beneath some surface stones forming distinct crusts

Soil

Soil parent material:

Till derived from dolerite, tuff and sandstones

Previous disturbance:

Nil

Soil weathering stage:

6 4 (Campbell & Claridge 1975)

Soil moisture status:

Xerous, recent widespread 3cm snowfall with some thawing on the surfaces of larger rocks protruding from the snow; soil is dry

Biological activity:

Nil observed